title: Randomized prospective trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intratympanic steroid injection as salvage treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and intratympanic (IT) steroid injection on hearing after the failure of primary treatment in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with failure of primary therapy for ISSHL.
  
  
  METHODS
  After primary treatment with systemic steroids and failure of therapy, defined as less than 10-dB hearing gain, 50 patients were enrolled in the study and received either hyperbaric oxygen or intratympanic steroid treatment. The patients were not matched and not similar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hearing gain at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences between hearing thresholds at all frequencies before and after the HBO treatment. Similarly, there were significant differences between hearing thresholds at most frequencies (except 2 kHz) before and after the treatment in the IT group. The subgroups of patients with pure tone average less than 81 dB and were younger than 60 years had better response to HBO treatment than those with profound deafness and in the elderly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBO and IT steroid therapy could be successfully used as salvage therapies in patients with sudden deafness. Further study is needed to demonstrate superiority of one of the treatments.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. cvorcica@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cvorovic
authors.forename: Milan B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Milutinovic
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arsovic
authors.forename: Dragoslava
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Djeric
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014432:Tympanic Membrane
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone